Vehicle-wheel



N0. s|s,4s3. Patented Nov. I, was.

J. .1. McCULLY.

VEHICLE WHEEL.

(Application filed Oct. 21, 1897.)

No Model.)

K w? J 7 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN J. MCCULLY, OF CLIFTON HILL, MISSOURI.

VEHICLE-WHEEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 613,463, dated November 1, 1898. Application filed October 21,1897. Serial No. 655,930. (No model.)

To a, whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN J. MCOULLY, of Clifton Hill, in the county of Randolph and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Vehicle-Wheels, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which are a part of this specification.

My invention has relation to improvements in vehicle-wheels.

The object is to provide an improved construction of fellies whereby when the tire is shrunk to the fellies a close joint is secured at the meeting ends of the several sections and said fellies at the same time are drawn tight to the spokes and hub.

A further object is to provide a metallic felly-section of the construction hereinafter described which will resist the expansion to which wooden fellies are subject when a vehicle is traveling over wet ground and, on the other hand, will not be subject to contraction when-a vehicle is traveling over a hot dusty road in the dry season.

With the above primary objects in view the invention consists of the devices and parts or their equivalents, as hereinafter more fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a vehicle-wheel equipped with my improvements. Fig. 2 is an elevation of a fragment of Fig. 1, showing the joint between the fellies broken away. Fig. 3 is a detail View of one of the fellies.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 4 indicates the hub of an ordinary vehiclewheel, and 5 the spokes radiating therefrom. Each felly-section is indicated by the numeral 6 and is composed, preferably, of metal, advisably cast-iron, and the opposite ends of each are of the peculiar formation shown that is to say, at one end the top surface is cut away so as to form an upper shoulder 7, a sloping surface 8, and a lower shoulder 9. At its opposite end the under surface is cut away so as to form an upper shoulder 10, a sloping surface 11, and a lower shoulder 12. When the several sections of fellies are adj usted together, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the upper shoulder 7, the sloping surface 8, and the lower shoulder 9 at one end of a felly will fit against the corresponding shoulder 10, the

sloping surface 11, and the shoulder 12 of the adjacent end of the next folly of the series. The ends of the fellies are also provided with openings 13, which register when the fellies are fitted together as just explained and are adapted to receive therethrough the tenons 14 of the spokes. These holes are so positioned and arranged that the tenons will pass through the sloping surfaces forming the joint.

The tire (indicated by the numeral 15) is an ordinary vehicle-tire, and when this tire is shrunk to the fellies, after the fellies have been adjusted together in the manner already explained, it will close the joints of the fellies tight and also set the fellies down tightly to the spokes and hub.

It will be seen from the above description that my invention resides in' the peculiar formation of metallic fellies which are intended and are adapted to be adjusted to an ordinary wagon or vehicle wheel having the usual hub and spoke formation.

In adjusting the parts the fellies are first arranged properly together, and before the tire is put on the adjacent shoulders stand a slight distance apart, preferably one thirtysecond of an inch, so that when the tire is measured it is made as many one thirty-seconds of an inch smaller than the outside surface of the rim of the wheel as there are joints in said rim. The tire is then subjected to a uniform heat throughout, and thereby expanded. Said tire is then adjusted around the felly-sections, and as the tire cools and contracts the joints of the fellies are drawn together very tightly and close the spaces between the adjacent shoulders. Inasmuch as the joints are formed with the sloping surfaces the contraction of the tire sets the folly sections against the spokes with the com bined shrinkage power of the contraction of the tire and the wedging of the sloping sur= faces. This gives to each spoke its proper amount of shrinkage power, whereas if the sloping surfaces were not provided the tire would be tight on the rim but not tight to the spokes.

By making the felly-sections of metal expansion due to traveling over wet roads and contraction due to traveling over hot sandy roads are avoided.

Ice

What I claim as my invention is-- 1. The combination, of a hub and spokes radiating therefrom, a series of follies, provided at each end with an upper shoulder, a sloping surface, and a lower shoulder, the shoulders and sloping surfaces of contiguous ends of the sections adapted to be fitted together, and said ends provided with registering openings to receive the ends of the spokes, and a tire fitted around the felly-sections.

2. The combination, of a hub and spokes radiating therefrom, a series of fellies, each felly havingthe upper surface of one end provided with an upper shoulder, a sloping surface and a lower shoulder, and the under surface of the opposite end provided with an upper shoulder, asloping surface, and a lower shoulder, the end shoulders and sloping surfaces of contiguous ends of sections adapted shoulder, and the under-surface at the opposite end formed with an upper shoulder, a sloping surface, and a lower shoulder.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

Y J OIIN J. MCOULLY. \Vitnesses:

F. E. IIARLAN, 1. F. SEARS. 

